Hey Blog! A few weeks ago, I helped out at my group’s annual Beaver sleepover, so I’ll tell you about that this week!
If you know me well or have read some of my past blogs, you likely know I help at a Beavers section in Scouting. This is part of the Young Leaders Scheme, where older sections can volunteer with younger ones for experience and practice working with children, and also works as the volunteering section for DofE. I help with the Beavers of the same group I joined Scouting through, so, though I didn’t participate in Beavers as I was too old when I joined, I have been part of every section of Scouting the unit offers.
As part of their programme, the Beavers do an annual sleepover in one of the cabins at the bottom of the campsite, and since I only joined after last year’s had taken place, this was my first chance to assist. They only go for one night, so I had plenty of experience, having gone with Scouting many times before. Therefore, my task was to help the Beavers learn, play and have fun – besides also having fun myself! Here follows a abbrieviated list of things we did:
- Postbox – this is a game for a very large group in an open space. A number of people (generally leaders) carry cards of different colours, stickers (representing stamps) of different colours, and a elaborately crafted cardboard postbox. The leaders each take a set of cards or stickers, and one carries the postbox. The players are divided into groups, and each group is assigned a colour of card. The aim is for players to race arround, collect a card of their colour, stick one of all colours of stamps on the card, and post the card in the postbox. But… to make it more fun and confusing, the leaders all switch round what they’re carrying, so no one knows who has what! Warning – if you are a leader, you will get out of breath very quickly due to the large group of children running relentlessly after you! It was most fun, however.
- Tracking – this requires substantial preparation and a large space. Some of the other leaders and I layed a trail of cut lengths of wool around the grounds, and then the Beavers followed the trail and colected the treasures hidden along it. Later, we did a variation where each team followed the clues on small packages which each led to another. This sent us all over the campsite, before coming back to the cabin to find the treasure chest in the leader’s bedroom!
- Baking – after dividing the Beavers into groups, they made a batch of cookies and then decorated them. Some chose to keep them for taking home, some ate them immediately! My role was to make sure no one mismeasured the recipe and put the sugar quantity far too high, and show them how to breadcrumb flour and butter. Hopefully, next time I go, one of them will have brought in a tray of cookies as a thank you…
[Ed. : I’ll be expecting a tin full of cookies to be left at home for me, too!]
- To save the best till last – Marshmallows on campfire! The king of all camp foods, smores are a must at any Scout camp, and it is a vital skill to pass on to those who will one day be teaching yet more young Beavers the joys of toasted marsmallow sandwiched between chocolate-coated digestive biscuits. Hot and gooey and probably not the thing to have straight before going to bed, but you’re on a camp, so you’re allowed, right?
I loved the sleepover, and am definitely going back next year! It’s so fun to help the Beavers and I love being a part of this team that passes on learning – it’s rewarding for all parties. Whatever happens, I intend to keep working as part of this fantastic opportunity.